Only In The Country | Fiona Palmer

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Jan 2011

Friends

We were lucky enough to spend Christmas and New Year on the coast. Nearly ten days of bliss where we got to escape the heat and hot winds back home. From the tiny caravan kitchen we managed to prepare a roast dinner fit for a king. Although it was lost on my daughter who is a fussy eater lol.

I love the park where we stay, so sheltered and surrounded by trees. The kids ride their bikes and go and play with other kids and have a wonderful time. My daughter made a friend, a really good friend. So much so, she cried when she left and wrote her a letter the moment we got home. I think thats whats nice about going there, sometimes you can meet new friendly people…then they know people you know and your like…wow, small world.

So hopefully the girls stay in contact and keep writing. I had a pen friend since year one and she lives in Canada and we still keep in contact. I’m a bit of a letter writer…even though my handwriting sucks…but growing up I was always writing letters to my gran or my friends and family. (hmmm didn’t have email back then, or text messaging) But I still like to write the odd letter now, because I know how much I love getting mail. (not the ones with the windows!!!)

I’m running the shop full time at the moment, while the boss is away on holidays but will be back writing …have no fear. Just ordered books for the launch and starting to plan it. Yes, i’m very excited lol. My next blog with be the book cover and trailer! x

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Dec 2010

Xmas

By Fiona

On Saturday we had a visit from Santa and the whole town and more rocked up to watch the kids get their presents. Can you believe there are just over fifty presents under the tree!!! We were most upset to find the mice had a munch on the red velvet on Santa’s chair but we were able to hide it. It was a great night but I was totally worn out and now we have just under another year before we need to think about organising the next one.

It’s forcast as a ripper hot one here for Christmas (38-40) so we are lucky to be heading to the coast. Wost thing is packing up all the pressies…only to bring them all back lol. Looking forward to sitting by the beach with a good book. And i have lots to pick from as I have about seven to read!! hmm don’t think i will get through them all in a week! I’d love to get through one!

Any way I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I love Christmas for the fact that it brings families together. Also I wish you all the best for the New Year. Great things to come in 2011!!

I have put up the trailer for Heart of Gold on my facebook page, but it will be up on the website in January for those who don’t fb.

Category: Heart of Gold, Only in the country, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized One Comment

Dec 2010

Christmas

By Fiona

This was my car Sunday arvo, looking like Santa’s sleigh. Filled to the brim with pressents. My mate Lea and myself headed to Perth for the yearly shop. Our numbers have dropped this year to 50 kids. Big kids moving on and not many little ones being born. So we didn’t have to find as many gifts this year. We know all the kids, and try to get the biggest and best pressy with our set limit of $. We take our job very seriously as the Christmas tree has been on every year since 1929…from memory… and is the biggest attended event our town has.

We are a bit bummed we wern’t successful with our grant this year. (Especially being such a tough year for the community/farmers) It means we have to charge people for the bbq packs. We try to fundraise throughout the year so we cover this cost as the xmas tree is such a great thing for families and the community to come together, but in a small town its really hard. There are not many volunteers left as everyone already has a million other jobs they volunteer for. But that won’t stop the party going on. We always like to have a few little surprises up our sleeves for the big night also…and this year is no exception. Last year we started a colouring competition for the kids. One way to brighten the hall with all their Christmas artwork and we have a secret voting system to pick out the winners for each group. Hopefully ALL the kids remember to bring them this year…don’t forget mums!…we don’t want upset kids who have left their treasured pictures at home.

Category: Events, Only in the country 2 Comments

Nov 2010

Weekend

By Fiona

On the weekend the kids and I went for another ride in the truck. This time out to Mr Mitchell’s. I love riding in the truck with my dad, as it ends up being around an hour I get to spend with him. Yes, I’m a daddy’s girl. And the kids love being with their pop too.

Moments like these are very special. Dad was showing the kids how a header works by grinding the wheat heads in his hand and blowing the chaff away to leave the wheat. Then we ate some. Blake was chewing on it and asked could he swollow it or did he have to spit it out. Kids are cute! As we sit in the truck, waiting for it to fill up with grain, is a great time to spend with the kids. We sang songs and played games. You can see the overcast day we had. Weird warm day with the occasional rain drop.

As the field bins were in another paddock to the header, dad had to pull up along the fence so Mr Mitchell could top up the load. The crops are really bad this year and it takes a lot of harvesting before you can get enough grain for a load.

It’s hot, dusty and itchy in the truck and around headers but we were rewarded with a swim in our friends pool afterwards. It has a great view also. Just missing the cocktails!!!

Category: Only in the country, The Farmer's Life 3 Comments

Nov 2010

Harvest

By Fiona

This Saturday the kids were bored so we jumped in Pop’s truck and headed out the road to pick up Mr Varone’s load of wheat. He’d stopped for the day as most area’s had a harvest ban on. You’d be mad to harvest when its stinking hot and the wind is blowing. If a fire started, which is easy in this heat, the wind could take it anywhere. While we were there I got to check out the new flash header.

Heading back into Pingaring bin with a full load. Yes, dads truck is old but it has aircon… do you think i could tell? NO! You can also see my Blundy boots, which have been sitting dormant for a while. I had to check for spiders!

Driving up to the sampling hut and beyond that is the weighbridge.

Our lovely local girls Julia and Shana are the bin samplers. Its a lean year so it dosn’t get too busy (especially with the harvest ban). We have 7 farmers finishing next week!!! Normally its not until after christmas. See those lovely curtains…I made them years ago as the sun would belt through those windows. I think that was the last time I used my sewing machine! LOL

My dad unloading the truck, talking with my hubby and another local farmer. I live right across from this. Good – as Hubby is close to work and bad - because the bin blocks out the setting sun.

Hope you liked my tour into the bin! (I wrote about this bin in The Family Farm)

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Nov 2010

Boxes

By Fiona

My hubby and I were rather shocked last night when our kids went off to bed so early! We should have known somthing was up. As you can see boxes make wonderful toys. We had two aircons installed and the big empty boxes left behind were snapped up by the kids. It kept them so busy playing games…excitement plus…I could hear their raised voices from the back yard. I’m not sure which one came up with the idea of the bunk beds…but we did have a laugh. I had an up hill battle trying to convince them their beds would be more comfortable!! These boxes are the most played with things in our house. Wonderful to let them go free with their imaginations and not have some expensive toy. I wonder what they will be turned into next, when they get home from school? Blake went to be with tears as his box bottom fell open and I had to promise him that today i would get some big strong tape and fix it up again. Sheesh, if only life was that easy!!

Mac took this pic of Sally, who had jumped in the water bucket to cool off. She’s in for a shock as summers only just started!

Category: Family, Only in the country, Uncategorized One Comment

Nov 2010

Crops

By Fiona

Its that time of year again…harvest. Though to look at this picture you’d think it was okay, but for our area in WA it’s quite grim. There was hardly any rain this year to help finish the crops. I think I heard it said that it’s the third worst year ever recorded…I may be wrong but it’s not bloody far off. I’m not a farmer, but my friends are and my dad is a local contractor who carts their grain. He’s not going to have much work this year. Normally he puts on a worker to drive his other truck, but this year he can cover it easily by himself…and he’s picked up extra farmers this year as other contractors head to better areas chasing more work.

The heads in the above picture look alright but when you rub the grains out they are small and pinched/shrivelled. There are two tiny grains of wheat on the left side of my palm next to the chaff/white heads. When a sample is taken these grains end up becoming screening, and too much of them the farmer gets his load docked. This year they also have the problem of picking up stones and other crap in the header comb due to the crops being so low to the ground. One farmer said it was sad, trying to harvest a crop that wasn’t even as high as last years left over stubble. And if stones and sheep poo end up in a sample they will send a farmer home with his load.

I sampled for CBH for a few years and its hard to tell a farmer he’s being docked for screening or that his load is going feed. It’s their livelihood. My husband works for CBH, where all the grain is stored…but not much will make it to the bin this year as farmers will keep most of it on farm for seed and sheep feed. I hope a few of them get some extra, unexpected bags to give them hope.

My daughter is walking through a crop so you can see it…or lack of it.

Category: Only in the country, The Farmer's Life, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Oct 2010

The Vet

By Fiona

This morning I had to drive out to a friends farm to meet a vet from Swans Vet in Esperance (yes he had come a long way) so Sally could get her first needle. It was better than driving to Katanning or Narrogin (300k round trip) with a restless puppy!!

My friends have a feedlot and they had a bull who needed some attention so I stayed and watched as he had some stitches taken out from his private bit. Ouch … is all I could say and I’m glad I didn’t have to hold his penis … I was offered the job but declined. After all, I had a puppy to hold so she wasn’t trampled! (That was my excuse … I thought it was a good one) LOL

I can say it was an eye opening experience. The whole process is probably a bit to graphic to go into details but I’m sure you all get the idea. Any who I got to enjoy morning tea with them all … not the bull, just the people. I had a cappuccino and cake … yes how spoilt. And I was enjoying it …even though I knew I should be at home typing away. But that’s exactly what I’m going to do right now … after this blog! I promise! I have an April deadline to make.

Category: Only in the country 2 Comments

Oct 2010

School holidays

By Fiona

Our school holidays started with the picnic up the rock ritual. We pack some goodies (lamingtons and cream – yes I packed cream)and while the kids climbed all over the rocks mum and dad lay, soaking up the warmth along with the lizards. It was beautiful … but the view was on the dry yellow side of green.

It was the same on our way to Hopetoun, the worst crops I’ve seen around our area and then two hundred kms down the road they turned into beautiful big green crops. Amazing what rain does. There is nothing that can save this harvest … if there even will be a harvest. Everyone is stretched to the hilt money wise and the banks will probably try to sell a few farms, only thing is no one will buy them!!! It’s hard to try and sell your farm to pay debts when no one can afford to buy them, so you’re left stuck…waiting.

I’m not a farmer, but I live in a farming community so it effects everyone, from shops to contractors etc. Lets hope next year is a bumper … everyone will need it.

Category: Family, Only in the country, The Farmer's Life Leave a Comment

Sep 2010

Nyabing

By Fiona

On Sunday I went to Nyabing to meet some lovely ladies for afternon tea.

Thanks to Michelle for organising it. On my way there, enjoying the peace and quite (my kids I had left in Lake Grace with the in-laws…YES!) I got to take some pictures. I love the contrast of the bright yellow canola against the green of the crops. Its very Australian, the green and gold.

You couldn’t imagine a brighter yellow and to see it in such a mass is beautiful…except for the smell. LOL.

And salt lakes are something we have plenty of, but can also look amazing even though salt is a problem. Hope you enjoy the pictures…summer is on it way.

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